Sterilized toothbrush container



March 10, 1953 H. H. WARNER ET AL 2,630,912

STERILIZED TOOTHBRUSH CONTAINER File June so, 1950 7/ Isl/ L46 Ala/D 5l8 k Hiram H. Warner Francis J- Lyons IN V EN TOR$ Patented Mar. 10,1953 OFFICE STERILIZED roo'rneaosn CONTAINER Hiram H. Warner and FrancisJ. Lyons,

Worcester, Mass.

Application June 30, 1950, Serial No. 171,262

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structuralrefinements in sterilized tooth brush containers, and the principalobject of the invention is to provide a device of the character hereindescribed, wherein the sterilizing agent is properly protected againstthe effects of moisture from the tooth brush, wherein the tooth brushcannot come in direct contact with the sterilizing agent, and whereinthe sterilizing agent may be preserved indefinitely in a special casing,until the use thereof is desired.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity ofconstruction, in its adaptability for use in tooth brush receptacles ofdifferent sizes and types, and in its adaptability to economicalmanufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view, and suchother objects and features as may become apparent as this specificationproceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement andconstruction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially in the planeof the line 2-2 in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken substantially in theplane of the line 3-3 in Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, similar to thatillustrated in Figure 2, but showing a modified embodiment of theinvention, and

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view, taken substantially in theplane of the line 55 in Figure i.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in thespecification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, more particularlyto Figures l-3 thereof, the invention is embodied in a sterilized toothbrush container which is designated generally by the reference characterill and includes in its construction a vertically elongated receptacle52 provided with a fiat bottom wall I4 and with a removable resilientcover Hi, the latter affording a socket I8 for he reception of anapertured handle of a tooth brush 2i}, so that the tooth brush besuspended in the receptacle 12 from the cap 55, as shown.

The eesenceof novelty of the invention resides in the provision of asterilizer which is designated generally by the reference character 22and consists of a substantially cylindrical casing 265 positioned on thebottom wall 14 of the receptacle 2 l2 and provided with a frusto-conicalupper portion 26.

The casing 24- contains a suitable sterilizing agent 3b which ishermetically sealed in the casing until such time as the sterilizer isto be placed in use, at which time a diffusing orifice 32 may bepunctured in the top end of the frustoconical portion Ztso that thefumes from the sterilizing agent may pass into the receptacle ii! tosterilize the tooth brush 20. If desired, the upper end of thefrusto-conical portion 26 of the casing 24 may be provided with anannular member 34, the opening at the center of which defines the regionwhich is to be punctured in forming the orifice 32.

It is to be noted that the lateral wall of the casing 2f. is spacedinwardly from the inner surface of the receptacle I2, so that anymoisture such as may drop from the tooth brush 28 will gravitate alongthe outwardly sloping surface of the frusto-conical portion 26 andaccumulate in the space between the casing 24 and the receptacle l2. Inthis connection it is to be noted that the frusto-conical portion 26afiords between itself and the inner surface of the receptacle l2 whatmay be called an annular trough which may eventually be filled by theaccumulated liquid. However, to safeguard any possibility of theaccumulated liquid gaining entry into the casing 24 through the orifice32, the receptacle i2 is preferably formed from transparent material, sothat the amount of accumulated moisture in the bottom of the receptaclemay be readily observed and the receptacle emptied before the level ofsuch liquid reaches the annulus 34.

Referring now to the modified embodiment of the invention which isillustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the receptacle 4!! herein is providedwith a bottom wall 42 which has a concave inner surface and is formed atthe center thereof with a drain opening or aperture 44.

In this instance the casing 46 of the sterilizer is substantially equalin outside diameter to the inside diameter of the receptacle 40, but itis to be noted that the lateral wall of the casing is provided with aplurality of vertically extending channels or grooves 48 so thatmoisture dropping from the tooth brush 2!! may gravitate through thesegrooves or channels to the bottom of the receptacle and then drainoutwardly therefrom through the opening 44. In this manner emptying ofthe receptacle is eliminated. In all other respects, the sterilizerinthe modified embodiment is substantially the same as the sterilizer 22already described. I

It is believed that the advantages and use of 3 the invention will beclearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly,further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferredembodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changesin the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resortedto without departing from the spirit and scope of the inven tion asclaimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In combination with a container including a cylindrical lateral wall anda convex bottom wall provided with a central drain aperture, asubstantially cylindrical casing positioned in the bottom portion ofsaid container, the outside di ameter of said casing correspondingsubstan- 4 tially to the inside diameter of the container, and thelateral wall of said casing being provided with a plurality oflongitudinally extending grooves afiording passages between the portionsof the container above and below the casing.

HIRAM H. WARNER. FRANCIS J. LYONS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,051,433 Moseley et al. Jan. 28,1913 1,922,255 Miller Aug. 15, 1933 2,253,273 Haycock Aug. 19, 19412,447,944 Johnson et a1 Aug. 24, 1948

